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The news: Fiserv will acquire the remaining 49.9% stake in AIB Merchant Services, one of Ireland鈥檚 largest payment solutions providers and Europe鈥檚 largest ecommerce acquirers. Our take: Fiserv has to find innovative ways to grow among a competitive POS landscape, rising softPOS adoption, and pervasive economic uncertainty.

Markets rally, but marketers hold their applause: Trump鈥檚 tariff pause could still keep ad execs on edge, given market volatility and long-term planning risks.

Chinese consumers aren鈥檛 buying as much beer as they used to: Anheuser-Busch InBev and Carlsberg both reported bigger-than-expected volume declines in Q3.

Companies waste no time hiking prices: The cost of everything from coffee to video game consoles to sexual wellness products is going up, which will prompt shifts in consumer spending habits.

YouTube expands Premium Lite to more countries: The lower-cost tier aims to attract price-sensitive users without hurting ad revenues.

Apple Q2 revenues grow 5% YoY, but Services are slightly below expectations: Despite revenue gains, tariffs and an antitrust case could cause the tides to turn.

Walmart is upbeat despite tariff turmoil: The retailer expects to take share as shoppers grow more value-conscious.

Social commerce is gaining momentum in the UK鈥攚ith sales set to double by 2028鈥攁s major brands join TikTok and as more people shop on social platforms.

WPP Q1 revenues decline 5% YoY: Another disappointing quarter could spell trouble ahead for the company if it doesn鈥檛 enhance its value proposition.

Many retailers in Latin America like Mercado Libre, Rappi, and even Walmart function not only as commerce players, but as financial institutions as well. As a result, commerce media in Latin America is charting a different course than it has in the US, one that could result in unique opportunities for companies with access not only to shopper habits, but to financial data as well.

Custom AI agents are booming, but power and capacity shortfalls are slowing Microsoft鈥檚 expansion, threatening to delay broader adoption and inflate cloud costs.

Many workers embrace genAI tools like ChatGPT in secret to gain an edge, raising concerns around job insecurity, workplace transparency, and growing cybersecurity risks.

It鈥檚 hard to plan around Trump administration policies: One day, smartphones and other electronics are spared from tariffs; the next, the exemption is called temporary.

Bringing manufacturing back to the US is easier said than done: Tariff uncertainty makes it hard for companies to take on large-scale projects.

The news: Global ad spend growth is slowing but staying positive, with WARC projecting a 6.2% rise to $1.16 trillion in 2025 and MAGNA forecasting a 4.9% climb to $979 billion. Retail media is outpacing linear TV for the first time, and Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon continue to control the majority of digital revenues. Measurable channels like short-form video, retail media, and ad-supported VOD are gaining ground. Our take: Amid economic pressures and trade concerns, advertisers are prioritizing performance, shifting budgets geographically and platform-wise. With elections, AI, and major global events on the horizon, platforms that prove outcomes鈥攏ot impressions鈥攚ill shape the next era.

Nearly all marketers are concerned about Trump鈥檚 tariffs: The trade war is putting pressure on marketers鈥攂ut there are some options to mitigate the damage to brands.

Consumers brace for tariff-related price hikes: Some take preemptive action, with 1 in 10 shoppers making a big-ticket purchase to sidestep rising costs.

JD.com鈥檚 retail sales rose 14.7% in Q4: That鈥檚 an encouraging sign for China鈥檚 retailers as they eagerly await a consumption recovery.

Meta axes VR jobs as Reality Labs flounders: Over 100 workers, including staff behind the 鈥淪upernatural鈥� fitness app, were cut as the firm pivots away from costly metaverse efforts.

After pulling news for a portion of EU users, Google saw barely any drop in engagement, which could fuel a shift toward AI summaries and fewer publisher links.

TikTok builds its creator offerings while revenues thrive: While ByteDance is seeing notable growth, the tide could turn with an impending US ban.

The failed buyout shows chipmakers may prefer autonomy over acquisition, even as demand for AI hardware keeps climbing.

The effects of new tariffs are starting to hit home: Retailers that rely on discretionary spending are struggling, signaling rising anxiety among businesses and consumers鈥攁nd likely slower growth ahead.